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Making painful statements

LONDON - It was an evening of making statements on ECW on
Sci Fi. ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley showed Umaga and the McMahons that
he was ready to battle overwhelming odds in his title defense this Sunday
at Backlash, and CM Punk showed the New Breed that he is his own man.

The ECW Champion’s three Backlash opponents sent him a clear message
on Raw this week. Umaga and Shane McMahon decimated a local British
grappler named Robbie Brookside in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match and allowed Mr.
McMahon to make the pin. But tonight on ECW on Sci Fi, Lashley showed he
was not intimidated when he battled Umaga less than a week before Backlash.

The Samoan Bulldozer didn’t need motivation in this match; Lashley
cost him the Intercontinental Championship against the unknown Santino
Marella last week on Raw. With the Chairman watching from a monitor in the
dressing room, Umaga went after Lashley with a vengeance.

But when the ECW World Champion battled back and it appeared he would
snatch a victory away from Umaga, his manager, Armando Estrada, interfered
and struck Lashley in the back with his title. However, Lashley made
Umaga’s handler pay dearly. After knocking Umaga out of the ring, the
enraged champion grabbed Estrada and near cut him in half with a thunderous
spear. Lashley stood over the fallen Estrada and glared at the Chairman,
who had emerged from the back to restrain Umaga. Mr. McMahon’s eyes
bulged in horror as Lashley gorilla-pressed Estrada and tossed him out of
the ring. (WATCH)

Lashley stood tall in this latest battle with the McMahons and Umaga, but
the odds will be stacked against him at Backlash. He will be battling a
monstrous savage and two vengeful McMahons who are determined to bring
honor back to their family name. And if either Umaga, Shane McMahon or Mr.
McMahon pin Lashley or make him submit, ECW will have a new World Champion.

Meanwhile, as Lashley prepares for perhaps a climatic battle in his war
with the Chairman, it seems like a new war has started between CM Punk and
Elijah Burke and the New Breed. Burke began to mistrust the New
Breed’s newest member – a man he personally recruited
– when he saw the straightedge Superstar assuming a leadership role
in the group. His distrust wasn’t eased when Punk accidentally cost
him a victory in his match against the Originals’ Rob Van Dam last
week.

Punk repeatedly apologized for costing Burke the match, but the
relationship between the New Breed’s most dominant personalities only
appeared to disintegrate this week. Before an Eight-Man Elimination Match
with the ECW Originals, Burke told New Breed teammates Matt Striker, Kevin
Thorn, and Marcus Cor Von that he believed he had made a mistake by
recruiting Punk. He even told Punk to sit out of the Elimination Match.

But Punk did not take lightly to taking orders from Burke. The straightedge
Superstar cost Burke and the New Breed their match against Rob Van Dam,
Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, and Sandman. After the match, Punk didn’t appear
apologetic as he stood over a fallen a Burke and said, with a smirk on his
face, “I’m really sorry.”

With that, Punk walked out the ring alone. It is apparent that he is no
longer a member of the New Breed – but he is not aligned with the ECW
Originals, either. The straightedge Superstar showed that he stands alone
and follows no one. (WATCH)

Another ECW Superstar who appears to walk to the beat of his own drummer is
the deranged Snitsky, who has terrorized ECW for months. Two weeks ago, he
stalked Layla of Extreme Exposé, and who knows what might have
happened if Balls Mahoney hadn’t intervened. Snitsky made him pay
with a boot to the face, and this week, Balls sought revenge. But alas,
ECW’s “Captain Caveman” came up short as Snitsky
brutalized him before getting the pinfall.

Can’t get enough of ECW? Relive all the action on ECW.com’s
Hardcore
Hangover. And be sure to order Backlash on pay-per-view this Sunday,
April 29 at 7 p.m. ET